July 30, 2009
Recovery Act funds 45 of 110 Detroit youth employed in green jobs program
LANSING - Lt. Governor John J. Cherry Jr. on Thursday addressed 110 youth workers in Detroit at an event honoring the Detroit Conservation Leadership Corps (CLC), a summer jobs program that promotes environmental stewardship, job training and skills development. Salaries for 45 of the 110 Detroit CLC workers employed this summer are funded through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) youth programs, which this year includes additional funding from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (Recovery Act).
The CLC program in Detroit was designed and directed by a coalition of Detroit nonprofit and corporate partners, including The Greening of Detroit, Johnson Controls, Inc., the Student Conservation Association (SCA), and the Detroit Michigan Works! agency.
"The Recovery Act pumped vital additional funding into a successful program, giving many more young people the opportunity to work and learn this summer while they help make Detroit an even better place to live," said Lt. Governor Cherry. "These additional federal dollars will pay the salaries of 45 young Detroiters, allowing them to earn a paycheck now while developing important career skills that can help them land their next job and be part of Michigan's economic transformation."
The Recovery Act provided the state of Michigan with more than $62 million in additional funding for WIA youth programs. The 25 Michigan Works! agencies administer WIA youth activities within the state designed to provide employment and job training for economically disadvantaged youth ages 14 to 24.
The city of Detroit Workforce Development Department (DWDD), the Michigan Works! agency for Detroit, has received more than $11.4 million in additional Recovery Act dollars to fund WIA youth program services in the city of Detroit. As of July 21, the DWDD had placed 4,199 young Detroiters into jobs at 163 work sites throughout the city.
Detroit Conservation Leadership Corps members were selected from hundreds of candidates based on their ability to successfully complete a three-step, month-long tryout process. Candidates were evaluated based on work ethic, leadership ability, civic engagement and commitment to the environment.
The CLC participants gain hands-on experience in environmental conservation and are taught important life skills such as resumé writing and personal finance management. Job sites include Rouge Park, Belle Isle, the Dequindre Cut Greenway, Burton Elementary School, Meyer's Tree Nursery, Detroit's Hope District, and other locations throughout the city. The program began on July 6 and will continue through August 14.
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